Combination lock mechanism



Oct- 16, 1962 A. ABELsoN ErAL 3,058,334

COMBINATION Loox MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July l0, 1961 INVENTORS 4M/mf? alsoza Timm /IC gy BY y,

ATTORNEYS Oct. 16, 1962 A. ABELSON ErAL 3,058,334

COMBINATION Loox MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed July 1o, 1961 INVENTORS rlaz' elsaza am M'y ATTORNEYS United States Patent O 3,058,334 CMBEATIQN LDQK MECHANISM Arthur Abelson and Thomas Nelson McKay, both of Rochester, N .Y., assignors to Sargent & Greenleaf, Inc., Rochester, NSY., a corporation of New York Filed July 10, 1961, Ser. No. 122,787 4 Claims. (Cl. 70-81) The present invention relates to combination lock closure locking mechanisms, and particularly to door locking mechanisms for lockers, cabinets and like receptacles involving the use of a combination lock mounting on a door for controlling a locking or latching bar associated with the door.

Heretofore, lockers, cabinets and like security receptacles having a door through which access to the interior can be obtained, particularly lockers designed for use in schools and other public places, have customarily employed a rectilinearly reciprocative locking bar which is slidably supported in the door along the free edge thereof and which cooperates with suitable stationary strikes or other locking projections extending from the stationary locker structure to interlock the door in closed position when the locking bar is at one of its reciprocative limits. Movement of the locking bar to and from locking position has normally been effected by means of a movable handle supported on the door and intercoupled either directly with the locking bar or by a linkage mechanism between the handle and the locking bar to effect movement of the latter. Usually, security against unauthorized access to the locker has been provided by means of a padlock which may be inserted through a staple on the handle which registers with a stationary staple on the door when the locking bar is in locking position, or by means of a key lock or combination lock mounted on or incorporated in the door having a bolt which restrains either the handle or the locking bar in locked position when the bolt is projected.

An object of the present invention is the provision of a door locking mechanism for lockers, cabinets and like security receptacles wherein a combination lock carried by the door is operative to move a reciprocative locking bar carried by the door to unlocking position responsive to manual adjustment ofthe combination lock carried by the door.

Another object of the present invention is the provision in a locker, cabinet or other security receptacle of the type having a movable door and a reciprocative locking bar carried by the door and adjustable to door locking and unlocking positions, of a combination lock mechanism for controlling the locking bar including a combination lock supported for sliding movement along the door between spaced limit positions and means intercoupling the combination lock with the locking bar to effect movement of the locking bar to the locking and unlocking positions responsive to movement of the combination lock between the limit position when the combination is in unlocked condition to obviate the necessity of providing a handle for manipulating the locking bar.

Another object of the present invention is the provision of a novel combination lock mechanism for lockers, cabinets and like security receptacles of the character described in the preceding paragraph, wherein novel means are provided for preventing sliding movement of the combination lock and locking bar from locking position when the combination lock is in locked condition.

Other objects, advantages and capabilities of the present invention will become apparent from the following detail description, taken in conjunction With the accompanying drawings illustrating one preferred embodiment of the invention.

ICC

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a front elevation view of a part of a locker having a combination lock mechanism constructed in accordance with the present invention applied thereto, parts being broken away to reveal internal structural details;

FIGURE 2 is a rear elevation view with parts broken away of the combination lock mechanism embodying the present invention, the mechanism being in door locking position;

FIGURE 3 is a rear elevation View with parts broken away of the combination lock mechanism embodying the present invention, the mechanism being in door unlocking position;

FIGURE 4 is a vertical section view taken along the line 4-4 of FIGURE 2; and

FIGURE 5 is a horizontal section view taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 2.

Referring to the drawings, wherein like reference characters designate corresponding parts throughout the several iigures, there is illustrated a standard form of locker, `designated generally by the reference character 10, having the usual hinged swinging door 11, supported on the locker frame 12 by conventional hinges along one edge and having a free edge 13 opposite the hinged edge. The door 11 in this exemplary embodiment includes a vertically reciprocative locking bar 14 which may be simply constructed of a channel-shaped member having a web 15 and side flanges 16, 17 opening toward the front panel 18 of the door 11 and constrained for reciprocative sliding movement along a vertical axis by a guideway for-med in the free edge 13 of the ldoor by the right angle extension members l19 and 20 forming a U-shaped channel which opens toward the hinged edge of the door 11. Any conventional locking means may be provided for intercoupling the locking bar 14 with the main lframe 12 of the locker, such for example as the locking lugs 21 rigidly carried by the locking bar i14 adjacent the upper and lower ends thereof which are adapted to slide behind ears 22 of la bar or strikes 23 fixed on the main frame of the locker. With `such an arr-angement, the locking lugs 21 when the locking bar 14 occupies its lower limit position will be disposed behind the upwardly projecting ears 22 of the stationary strikes 23 to lock the door :to the main `frame as illustrated in FIGURE 2, while in the upper limit posi- Ition of the locking bar 14 the locking lugs 21 will be elevated -to a position spaced above fthe ears 22 of lthe stationary strikes 23 to `free the door 'for opening movement as illust-rated in FIGURE 3.

A combination lock, generally indicated by the reference character 24 is mounted on the front panel 18 of the door 111 at a location spaced slightly toward the hinged edge from the locking bar y14 and is preferably of the type having an escutcheon plate and dial assembly 25 disposed outwardly of and against the front door panel 128 and a lock casing 26 disposed against and inwardly of the rear face of the front panel `18, which is rigidly interconnected with the escutcheon plate and dial assembly 25 by nuts 27 and mounting bolts 28 projecting rearwardly from the escutcheon plate and dial assembly 25 through mounting wings 29 on the lock casing Z6, or by other equivalent rigid intereconnecting devices. U.S. Patent No. 2,847,846, issued August 19, 1958, to lames L. Tayor and Arthur Abelson, discloses the details of a combination lock which would be suitable in the practice of the present invention.

The front panel 18 of the locker door 111 is provided with three vertically aligned and vertically extending slots 30, 31 and 32, the slots 30 and 31 being designed to accommodate the vertically aligned mounting bolts 28 and the slot 32 being provided to accommodate the usual dial spindle projecting from the escutcheon plate and dial assembly y25 into the lock casing 26. The slots 30, 31 and 32 have a sufficient vertical extent to accommodate vertical sliding motion of the combination lock 24 through a distance corresponding to the vertical range of movement of the locking bar 14 between its locking and unlocking positions. Theusua'l horizontally reciprocative bolt 33, which is here shown to be of rectangular cross section, projects from the lock casing 26 through a substantially conforming rectangular aperture 34 in the inner Vside flange 16 of the locking bar 14, the aperture 34 being sized relative to the cross section of the lock bolt 33 so that the locking bar 14 will be caused to move vertically in substantial correspondence with vertical sliding movement of the combination lock 24 along the door panel 18. A stationary strike 35 is fixed to and extends rearwardly from the panel d8 of the door 11 and is disposed at a location transversely of the door lying between the positions occupied by the end of the combination lock bolt 33 at its retracted or unlocked and projected or locked positions. The strike 35 is located vertically relative to the reciprocative axis of the combination lock bolt 33 when the lock is at its lower vertical position so that the bottom edge 36 of the strike 35 lies immediately above the top edge 37 of the bolt 33.

It will be apparent that with this construction, the stationary strike 3S will overlie the combination lock bolt 33 when the latter is in its projected or locking position and will prevent vertical displacement of the combination lock 24 and the loclc'ng bar 14 interecoupled therewith from the lower limit positions of these two elements wherein the locking bar 14 restrains the door iii-l in locked condition with the main frame of the locker. When the proper combination of the lock 24 has been dialed and the bolt 33 retracted, the operator can then lift up the combination lock 24 to shift the same through the vertical range permitted by the slots '39, 31 and 32 in the door panel 1S, which imparts the same lmotion to the locking bar 14 to shift the locking bar to its upper limit position Y wherein the locking lugs 21 are elevated clear of the strike ears 22, releasing the door for opening movement. Thus, the combination lock 24 is vertically movable relative to the door panel .18 to elect elevation and lowering of the locking bar 14 and obviate the need for a locker handle to produce such movement of the locking bar. Because of the weight of the locking bar 14 and the lock 24, the lock and locking bar are gravitationally returned to the lower limit position upon release of the combination lock to complete the locking cycle when the door is closed.

While but one preferred example of the present invention has been particularly shown and described, it is apparent that various modifications may be made therein within the spirit and scope of the invention, and it is desired, therefore, that only such limitations be placed on the invention as are imposed by the prior art and set forth in the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

l. ln a security cabinet of the type having a door, an elongated locking bar supported on the door for reciprocative rectilinear axial movement along a bar adjustment axis paralleling the plane of the door between axially spaced door locking and unlocking positions; a lock mechanism comprising a combination lock supported for rectilinear Vreciprocative movement between spaced tirst and second limit positions along a path generally paralleling the bar adjustment axis, said combination lock having a reciprocative bolt selectively adjustable to projected and retracted positions, means continuously intercoupling said locking bar with the bolt of said combination lock for shifting said locking bar along said bar adjustment axis to said locking and unlocking positions in accordance with movement ot said combination lock along said path to said iirst and second limit positions respectively, and stationary strike means on said door disposed relative to the projected position of said bolt to intercept the projected bolt and bar movement of said combination lock along said path from said rst limit position toward second limit position, said strike lying outside of the path of said bolt during movement of said combination lock along said path when said bolt occupies said retracted position.

2. In a combination lock and door assembly for lockers and the like, a door having a free edge, an elongated locking bar supported on the door for reciprocative rectilinear movement along a bar adjustment axis adjacent and generally paralleling the free edge between axially spaced door locking and unlocking positions, a combination lock for moving said locking bar along said bar adjustment axis in response to movement of the lock along the door having a reciprocative bolt selectively adjustable transversely of said bar adjustment axis to projected and retracted positions, means slidably supported said combination lock on the door for rectilinear reciprocative movement of the lock and bolt between spaced iirst and'second limit positions along a path generally paralleling the bar adjustment axis, means continuously intercoupling said locking bar with said bolt for coordinate movement of said bar along .said bar adjustment axis to said locking and unlocking positions upon movement of said combination lock and bolt along said path to said rst and second limit positions respectively, and stationary strike means on said door located along the path of movement of the bolt between said irst and second limit positions in intercepting'relation to a projected bolt portion extending beyond the retracted position to bar movement of said combination lock and bolt along said path from said rst limit position when the bolt is projected.

3. In a combination lock and door assembly for lockers and the like, a locker door pivotable about a vertical hinge axis adjacent one edge and having an opposite vertical free edge, an elongated locking bar having a central cavity and a bounding wall portion, means slidably supporting said locking bar on the door adjacent the free edge thereof for reciprocative vertical movement between vertically spaced door locking and unlocking positions, a combination lock for selectively securing said locking bar against movement and for adjusting said bar vertically between said locking and unlocking positions upon vertical movement of the combination lock along the door, the combination lock having a bolt reciprocative horizontally between projected and retracted positions, means supporting said combination lock on the door for vertical reciprocative movement between first and second spaced limit positions corresponding respectively to the locking and unlocking positions of said bar, said wall portion of said bar having an aperture closely conforming to the cross-section of said bolt to continuously receive the bolt and bounding surfaces engageable by the bolt to eiect reciprocative vertical movement of said locking bar in accordance with vertical movement of said lock between said limit positions, and a stationary strike member on said door extending rearwardly into said cavity to an intercepting position along the path of bolt movement toward said second limit position adjacent said bolt when the latter is in projected position and said lock occupies said rst limit position, said strike member being located in horizontally offset relation to the path of bolt movement between said irst and second limit positions of the lock when the bolt is in retracted position.

4. In a combination loc-k and door assembly for lockers and the like, a locker door pivotable about a vertical hinge axis adjacent one edge and having an opposite vertical free edge and a front panel, an elongated locking bar in the form of a forwardly facing channel member having side flanges and a central channel opening, means slidably supporting said channel member against the door panel adjacent the free edge thereof for reciprocative vertical movement between vertically spaced door locking and unlocking positions, a combination lock including a dial assembly and casing xed against relative movement for selectively securing said locking bar against movement and for adjusting said bar vetrically between said locking and unlocking positions upon vertical movement of the combination lock along the door, the combination look having -a bolt reciprocative horizontally between projected and retracted positions, means supporting said combination lock dial assembly and casing on the door panel for vertical reciprocative movement between first and second spaced limit positions corresponding respectively to the locking and unlocking positions of said bar, one of the side flanges of said channel member having an aperture closely conforming to the cross-section of said bolt to continuously receive the bolt and bounding surfaces engageable by the bolt to effect reciprocative vertical movement of said locking bar in -accordance with vertical movement of said lock dial assembly and casing between said limit positions, and a stationary strike rnember on said door panel extending rearwardly into said central channel cavity and lying in the path of movement of the bolt between said iirst and second limit positions in vertical alignment with a zone traversed by an outermost end portion of the bolt during movement between said projected and retracted positions to engage the bolt and prevent vertical movement of said combination lock from said first limit position when said bolt is in projected position.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,449,187 OConnor Mar. 20, 1923 1,892,447 Carr et al. Dec. 27, 1932 2,289,129 Lalonde July 7, 1942 

